Combined key and switch



'rnrrz Lownn'srmn, or encontra, New Yoan.

COMBINEDVKEY AND SWITCH.

larsneo;

To-aZZ whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRITZ LowENsrniN, acitizen of the United States, residinof at Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and tate of N ew York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Combined Keys and Switches; and l do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable4 others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to a combined key and switch and more particularlyto an instrument comprising a key andv a wave my invention to provide acompact transmitting instrument that shall have combined therein atransmitter key, and suitable means for selecting the necessary-connection for any one of a number of wave lengths.

Another object of my invention is to so arrange the key lever of theinstrument that it shall be located in an especially convenient positionfor the operator so that he may operate as rapidly and with aslittleleffort as possible. f

Another object of my invention is to arrange the transmitter key .sothat it shall also serve as a handle for operating the switching member,in selecting the connections desired when changing from one wave lengthto another. I

Another vobject of the invention is to provide a simple and compactinstrument in which the parts are readily accessible.

Another object of the invention is to provide a transmitting instrumentof the kind described that shall have means whereby a' volt meter orsimilaiinstrument may be connected in circuit in all positions of theinstrument to enable the operator to know the voltage of the supplycircuit in any of the sending positions.

The above and other objects and the novel features of the invention willbe apparent Specification of Letters Patent. Pgwmmd Jun@ 313, 11922.application filed November 29, 1918. "Serial No. 264,643.

from the following description taken in connectionwith the drawing, inwhich- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the combined key and wave changer handleembodying my invention. l

F ig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the same taken on the line 2-2of Fig. 1, parts being shown in side elevation, and

Fig. 3 is a diagram of so much of a transmitting system as is necessaryto illustrate the use of thev instrument embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawing, `l0 designates the insulating base of theinstruments the Lipper lside of which carries two concentricallyarranged series of contacts A, B, C and D and a, c and al and aconductive segment or .plate e concentric with these contacts. Thenumber of contacts in each set may, of course, be varied to correspondto the number of different Wave lengths employed. rl`he contacts A, .B,C and D are similar to one another, each embodying a post '11 mountedupon an insulating support 12 secured to l*the base 10. Part of theinner vertical face of each post is provided with a contacting surfaceengageable by a contact member 13 at the outer end of the arm 14 of acontroller member M of brass or other suitable'conducting material. Eachcontact post 11 is also provided with a binding screw 15 for securing aconductor thereto. rilhe contact member 14C may consist of a suitableresilient Vmember adapted to yieldingly engage theV face of the contactpost 11 to make good electrical connection therewith. -ln the presentarrangement, contact member 1? is substantially a resilient brush deviceand comprises a plurality of bow springs .s having their ends secured byscrews 17 to the depending end 16 of the arm 14. rJlhe springs s arecurved so as to be readily movable in either direction into contact withthe posts 11. TW hen the springs-engage the posts they are compressedslightly so that they will make good electrical contact with the posts.rlhe controller member M is held in any one of its adjusted positions bya plunger or detent member 18 that is carried by the outer end of thearm 1li and is yieldingly forced out! wardly into latching engagementwith the arm 14, respectively.

post 11 by a spring `19 having its opposite nds secured to theplunger 18and to thev plate e,

tiO

in radial alignment with the arrni4, and that also has a hollow integralboss 21 on its under side; serving to support the controlling member andto space the arms 14 and 20 -rom the upper side of the base 10. r1heboss 21 also receives the pivot pin 22 aboutl which the -controllingmember is swingable, said pivot pin also desirably serving as a commonpoint of connection to ground, as will more fully appear. Appropriatemeans, such as a suitable nut 23 on the upper end of thepin 22, holdsthe controlling member in place.

A depending supporting means or stirrup'24 is secured to the arm 20 andprojects downwardly therefrom and beyond the end of the arm and the edgeof the base 10. rllhe stirrupis secured to the arm 20 by screws 25 andat its free end it supports a block 26 of insulating material which issecured to Athe stirrup by screws 27. rlhe insulating block 26 carriestwo resilient brushes 28 and 29, Ibrush 28 being arranged to make cen'tact with any 'one of the contacts a, b, c, and d, while brush 29yieldingly engages the in all positions of the controlling member M, asat 30. As control member M is swung about its pivot the brush 29 engagesthe plate e, while the brush 28 is movable from one contact of theseries a, bfc, and d, to the other. j. l

'llhe stirrup 24 is also provided' with a pivotal support 4at 31 for thekey lever K that carriesan operating key knob 33 at lts outer end. 'llhemajor portion of the lever K is disposed in the space between the arm 20and the base 10, the outer end of the lever K extending outwardly anddownwardly as at 34 to bring the key knob 33 close to the support uponwhich the base 10 is mounted and away from the edge of the base 10 andthe conducting parts of the instrument. The lever K may also be used asa handle for swinging the control member M `horizontally about itspivot. rlihe key is electrically connected to the arm 20, through thestirrup 24, by a conductor 35 thatv is secured to the key and to thestirrup. The under side ot the key lever carries a Contact 36 otsuitable wear-resisting metal that is arranged to engage a correspondingcontact 37 secured to the upper side of the brush 28. Normally alsuitable means, such as a spring 38, holds 'the key in open positionwith 'the contacts 36 and 37 separated. llthe spring 38 exerts downwardpressure on the arm is ot the key lever and tends to depress it and'hold the other, arm of .the "lever up against the lower end ot. theadjustingscrew 39. The

spring 38`may be adjusted by a thumb screw 40 that is held in adjustedposition by the check nut 41,l and a similar check nut .42 maintains thescrew 39 in its adjusted position.

Each

ot the contacts, a, t, c, and d', is

amate@ provided with a suitable binding nut 44 or other means whereby itmay be connected to a conductor, and, as shown in Fig. 3, this series ofcontacts is connected, respectively, to the sources of current 46, 4748, and 49, which supply current of different frequencies. The plate e,carries a. binding screw e', to which a conductor 50 may be secured thatis electrically connected to a volt meter V :tor indicating the voltageof any one of the sources of energy that is being used for transmittingpurposes. The pivot 22 of the controller arm M is provided with suitablebinding screws 51 and 52 by means of which it may be connected toportions of the transmitting circuit and the contracts A, EB, C, and Dare electrically connected to conductors that lead to taps in a tuninginductance in the transmitting circuit. .The primary winding P of apower output circuit@ is connected by conductors 54 and 55 to the pivot22 and to the alternating current sources 46, 47, 48, and 49,respectively. Both branches, ot the transmittin circuit and both arms ofthe controller lare connected to ground at G through the pivot 22. Thusthe operating key is located close to ground, which is a` distinctadvantage. j

rll`he operation of the instrument will be apparent from the drawing andforegoing description. rl`he operating wave length having been decidedupon by the operator, the controlling member M is swuno'- about thepivot by using the key lever K as a handle and when the member M isswung to the position givin the desired lwave length the key lever l isat once in position for transmitting messages. rihus, only a single andsimple adjustment is necessary to change the wave length, while 'the keylever remains at all times in an operative position. At the same timethe voltage of the supply circuit is indicated to the operator at alltimes and he may thus know at any 'time without a special manipulation,what tire Voltage of his supplyrircilit is. The particular overhungposition of the key lever Ky is an. advantageous one, because, l

'slight eiort on the part of the operator.

While lhave shown and described a preerred embodiment ot the instrumentin detail, it is to be understood that numerous changes may be made inthe form of instrument shown without departing 'from the 130 aereas@`spirit of the invention. t will also be evident that certain featuresof the combined key and switch herein disclosed are not necessarilylimited to an instrument for use in connection with radio communicationcircuits but may also be embodied in instruments used in ordinary wirecommunication, in systems, for example, where a number of sets ofcircuits are to be controlled by a sin le instrument.

hat I claim is:

l. In a combined key and switch, the combination with two sets ofcontacts, of a pivotally mounted controlling member, contactengagingelements carried by said member and respectively arranged to engagesimultaneously any one ofI the contacts of one set and a correspondingcontact of the other set upon suitable pivotal movement of saidcontrolling member, a key lever pivotally supported by said member andextending below and beyond the same, and a contact movable by said leverto close and open a circuit through'said contact-engaging elements' andthe contacts engageable thereby. i

2. In a` combined key and switch, the combination with two sets ofcontacts, of a swingable controlling member having conducting arms,contact-engaging elements carried by said arms and resJ ectivelyarranged to engage simultaneous y any one of the contacts of one set anda corresponding contact ofthe other set, a key lever electricallyconnected to one of said arms and pivotally supported below the same,and a contact carried b to close a circuit tlirough one of saidcontactengaging elements and any of the said contacts engageable by it.

3. ln a combined key and switch, the combination with two sets ofcontacts, of a swingable controlling member having arms,contact-engaging elements carried by said arms and respectively arrangedto engagesimultaneously any one of the contacts of one set and acorresponding contact of the other set, supporting means .secured to anddepending from one of said arms, a key lever pivotally carried by saidsupporting means, and co'operatingfcontacts on said key' lever andsupporting means, said contact -on the supporting means y@beingelectrically connected to one of said contact-engaging ele` -mentswhereby the ke is arranged to close aA circuit through sai lastmentioned, com

tact-engaging element.

4:. lln a combined key and switch, in com` bination, a base, acontroller member ivoted base.

thereon and comprising arms space from the base, and a key pivotallymounted on one of said arms and having a part disposed between said armand the upper sidev of the flln a combined key and wave change handle,in combination, a base, a plurality of said lever and arranged' sets ofconde'ntrically arranged contacts on said base, a controller memberpivoted concentrically of said contacts and comprising conducting arms'spaced from the upper side of the base, contact members carried by saidarms and arranged to respectively engage the sets of contacts'on thebase, one of said contact members being insulated from the arm thatcarries it, and a key lever electrically connected to said controllermember.

and pivotally mounted below the last-mentioned arm, said key lever beingnormally electrically disconnected from said insulated Contact but beingoperable to engage the same and to close an electrical circuit throughit andthe arm supporting it.

6. lin a combined key and switch, the combination with two sets ofcontacts, of a controlling member carrying contact-'engaging elements`arranged to respectively engage corresponding contacts of said sets,means arranged for .connection to a voltmeter, and a.'

key carried by said controlling member and arranged to close a circuitthrough one of' ing contacts of said sets, one of said elements bemgarranged to engage said'fplate whenever it engages one of said contacts,and a key associated with such plate-engaging element and arranged toclose a circuit including the same.

8. ln a combined key and switch, the combinationwith a base, of two'sets of contacts lon the base, a controlling member 'having twoconducting arms swingable. in a plane parallel to the, base and about apivot on the basemeans arranged to` electrically connect a groundconductor to said pivot and thus to said arms, contact-engaging elementscarried-by said arms and arranged to engage correspondingfcontacts ofsaid sets, and a key arranged to close a circuit, through one .of saidarms and one of'said contact-engaging elements. f E

9. ln a combined key and switch', the combination with a base, of twosets of contacts',

a controller member having conducting arms carrying a boss that spacessaid arms from the top cf said base, contacting elements carried'by saidarms for engaging said sets of contacts, and a circuit-closing key leverelectrically connected to one of'said arms and pivoted in the spacebetween the base and the arm to which it is connected.

, Miene@ signature.

combination, with two sets ot contacts, ot a' movable conductive' membercarrying two contact-engaging elements adapted, respectively, to engagecorresponding contacts of each set as said member is moved, one of saidcontact-engaging elements being normally insulated from said member, andmeans carried by said member and operable to close a circuit throughsaid member and such normally insulated element.

lin testimony whereof ll hereunto affix my

